ARCS - PITTSBURGH Achievement Rewards for College Scientists www. ARCS Pittsburgh celebrates milestones: one decade, $1 million! Since its inception in 2003, ARCS Pittsburgh has raised Mark Nordenberg was on hand, more than a million dollars to support US doctoral students as was ARCS Pittsburgh charter in science, engineering and technology at Carnegie member Maureen Cohon, wife Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and The of CMU’s outgoing president Pennsylvania State University. Jared Cohon, and of course, ARCS Pittsburgh founder of existence, Jeanne Berdik. ARCS Event planners Bev Elliott, Pittsburgh Millie Ryan and Kathy hosted a Testoni ensured that attendees celebratory enjoyed drinks and tasty hors ARCS CMU scholar Andrew reception d’oeuvres, while President DeYoung, CMU’s Maureen June 6 at the Missy Unkovic spelled out our Cohon and Pitt Chancellor Mark Frick Art and glowing accomplishments. Nordenberg Historical Raising $1,172,500 is a large milestone to celebrate in a Center in small group of women who have worked together for only Our current and former chapter presidents (L to R): Beth Wainwright, Sue Harter, Jeanne Berdik, Point Breeze. ten years. Reception proceeds will fund the Maureen and Carol Stockman, Missy Unkovic. Pitt Chancellor Jerry Cohon ARCS Scholar Award.
Advancing Science Lively ARCS crowd enjoys Penn State visit in America® For April, Sue Breedlove organized ARCS Foundation advances science and a visit to Penn State University, where technology in the United States by providing ARCS members and donors could visit to learn about the Interdisciplinary Graduate U.S. citizens studying to complete degrees in Program in Ecology. After a reception science, engineering and medical research. The Pittsburgh Chapter has the additional with drinks and tasty hors d’oeuvres, focus of increasing the number of doctoral ARCS President Missy Unkovic opened the program, and Dr. David Eissenstat, and research in the Western Pennsylvania department chair, welcomed attendees. region. Donors and scholars (above) gather after Faculty and students then talked about Dr. Peter Hudson’s talk on eco-health. The Pittsburgh Chapter cutting-edge research on some of the Chartered in 2003, the Pittsburgh Chapter most pressing questions facing humanity is one of the newest of 17 nationwide ARCS chapters. In a short time, the Chapter has today: Is it possible to stop the spread already pledged more than a million dollars to of infectious diseases? Can we restore its three partner universities: Carnegie Mellon ecosystems degraded by human use? University, the University of Pittsburgh and How will global climate change affect Penn State University. human life and our environment? Kudos to Penn State and Sue Breedlove for a day well spent.
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Pittsburgh Chapter Applause, applause, applause at Board of Directors the 2013 Scholar Showcase event 2012-2013 After a short cocktail reception at the 20th Century Club in Oakland Missy Unkovic, President last April, third-year ARCS scholars Fran Abraham displayed posters of their work, Barbara Andrews Linda Burke and answered questions posed by Doris Calian interested members and their guests. Lourdes Castellanos Keynote speaker Dr. Jeanne Maureen Cohon, Esq. M. VanBriesen, professor in civil Maren Cooke Missy Unkovic socializes with Dr.VanBriesen engineering at Carnegie Mellon and Cecile Springer Ann Fromm University and an ARCS alumna from Kate Freed Northwestern University, then gave a speaker, Dr. VanBriesen described her Ruth Garfunkle fascinating talk about her own work. Julia Gleason Science on natural water systems and the Cristy Gookin and the detection of biological agents in Carol Heppner passion for drinking water. Debbi Linhart ARCS Foundation exists to support Jennifer Martin education, scientists like Jeanne. Perhaps a Pam Meadowcroft she said, young scholar now presenting a Karen Meck have poster will return as keynote speaker Arlene Sokolow always for a future Scholar Showcase. Kudos Carol Stockman driven to Karen Meck and Ruth Garfunkel Jan Wagner Third-year CMU ARCS Scholar her. An for their work on this year’s Scholar Janet Wood Stephen Spagnol excellent Showcase. Lise Woodard ARCS Pittsburgh says fond farewell to CMU’s Communications Jared Cohon as he steps down as president Committee Co-Chairs Jared L. with a three-year $15,000 award for 2012-13 Cohon has academic excellence in the sciences. delivered many Dr. Cohon’s wife, Maureen compelling Chair: Ann Fromm Cohon, served as a charter member lectures to of ARCS Pittsburgh and has been a Co-Chair: Julia Gleason ARCS Pittsburgh Debbie Scully, Susan members. On year existence. Moreland and Carol Heppner July 1, after a Dr. Subra Suresh, director of Special thanks to 16-year tenure at the helm as CMU the National Science Foundation, Debbie Meyers and CMU for layout, president, he will step down to return will succeed Dr. Cohon as CMU’s printing and mailing this newsletter. to lecture in the classroom. president. We have greatly appreciated his We look command of facts, his personable forward to demeanor and his vision for the working with Dr. Suresh and We also appreciate our scholars continuing our at CMU. ARCS Pittsburgh currently relationship with supports15 scholars at CMU, each Jerry.
Page 2 ARCS-Pittsburgh Newsletter ARCS - PITTSBURGH Charlotte Beukema wins prestigious “ARCS Light” Award After receiving the 2012-2013 ARCS Light award, divisional vice which recognizes stellar service and outstanding personal president. She leadership to our chapter, Charlotte Beukema said, “I enjoys Ikebana totally, totally believe in the mission. It’s wonderful to support our young science scholars.” and has served Kathy Testoni opened her beautiful home in Chatham’s as president of campus to host the annual meeting this past April 14. the Perennial A charter member of ARCS Pittsburgh, Charlotte served Garden Club. on the program committee for eight years, ultimately Holding becoming its chair, and served on the nominating her beautiful committee in 2011-2012. Charlotte and her husband, Henry, bouquet of lilies, share sponsorship of their second scholar award that alstroemeria and begins this year. peonies like a “Charlotte also helped with special events,” added Carol baby, Charlotte ARCS Light Awardee Charlotte Beukema Heppner, herself a former ARCS Light award winner. “She said she was did a lot for the scholar award dinners when we highlight honored to receive the award. our scholars.” “And I like the perks of being an ARCS member,” she Now active in the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, added. “It’s exciting to go behind the scenes to places like Charlotte graduated from Penn State University with a Google, the Tissue Engineering Center, and the prosthetics bachelor of science degree and worked at Kaufmann’s research center in Bakery Square. I’m still very passionate Department Store for 30 years, ultimately becoming about ARCS.” Katie Harris studies viruses, knits, runs and bakes bread As a Purdue undergraduate, about it,” she said. “One day I said to infection? How do the cells respond if Katie Harris remembers she had a friend, ‘I wish someone would send we take away a certain protein?’” two choices for graduate school: me an email and tell me what to do.’” To do her research, Katie wears the University of Michigan and the When she got home that night, she gloves to retrieve the cells that are University of Pittsburgh. found an email from Dr. John Horn at usually kept in the freezer. The “Both were good programs with Pitt, offering her an ARCS scholarship. freezers are minus 80 degrees good medical schools and I agonized “It’s a silly story,” Katie says now. Celsius; they thaw the cells under “But it didn’t hurt!” biological containment shields. Currently a doctoral student in Molecular Virology through Pitt’s particles from exiting their shields and School of Medicine, Katie studies enteroviruses, a class of virus with When she’s not studying, Katie fecal/oral transmission routes. enjoys spending time with friends, Polio is an enterovirus, like the virus that causes hand-foot-and- Pittsburgh Great Race -- and baking mouth disease. She specializes in the big crusty loaves of whole wheat immune response to these viruses in bread and making pizza dough. She the gut. even knits scarves and socks. “I do experiments,” Katie says. ARCS Pittsburgh members are “We culture human gut cells and glad the email about her scholarship grow them, asking ‘What happens arrived just at the right time to bring Third-Year Pitt Scholar Katie Harris to the immune response during virus Katie here.
ARCS-Pittsburgh Newsletter Page 3 ARCS - PITTSBURGH Farewell to our third-year scholars at CMU, Pitt and PSU We wish them continued success as they complete their studies and look forward to staying in touch with them. ANDREW DeYOUNG STEPHEN SPAGNOL Pittsburgh Chapter Award 2010-13 PPG Industries Award 2010-13 B.S., Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 2010 B.S., Chemical Engineering, Mellon College of Science, Chemistry Department Pennsylvania State University, 2010 Research interest: physical chemistry Carnegie Institute of Technology, Chemical Engineering Department MICHAEL McCANN Research interest: genome-scale metabolic modeling and The Roy and Susie Dorrence Award 2010-13 engineering B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2010 Carnegie Institute of Technology, Biomedical Engineering JASON TSAY Department Catalyst/Pittsburgh Chapter Award 2010-11, 2013 Research interest: computational neural engineering B.E., Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2009 MANYA SLEEPER School of Computer Science, Department of Computer The Thomas W. and Carol K. Henderson Family Fund of Science (ISR- software engineering) the Pittsburgh Foundation Award 2010-13 Research interest: software architecture and pervasive B.A., Computer Science, Dartmouth College, 2008 computing School of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science (ISR- computation, organizations, and society) Research interest: usable security and privacy